1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an all purpose, no-rinse, hard surface cleaner which also has antimicrobial efficacy.
2. Brief Statement of the Related Art
There are a variety of hard surface cleaners. Exemplary ones include Baker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,779, which shows an all purpose liquid cleaner with reduced streaking and filming.
Another cleaner is disclosed in Graubart et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,984, namely, a cleaning composition comprising quaternary ammonium compounds, tetrasodium EDTA, a mixture of surfactants, and a glycol ether. However, the reference fails to teach, disclose or suggest the use of a modified quaternary amine to enhance cleaning and filming/streaking performance.
Other hard surface cleaners which have antimicrobial efficacy include Zhou et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,615, and Zhou et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,387, both of common assignment, and incorporated herein by reference.
However, none of the art discloses, teaches or suggests the use of a modified quaternary ammonium compounds which additionally surprisingly enhances the soil removing ability and streaking/filming performance of the liquid, one phase cleaners formulated therewith, despite the presence of both quaternary ammonium compounds and the modified quaternary ammonium compounds. In addition, the inventive cleaners retain their antimicrobial performance.
The invention provides an antimicrobial, aqueous, hard surface cleaner, said cleaner comprising:
a. an alkoxylated quaternary ammonium surfactant, present in a cleaning-effective amount;
b. an alkoxylated short chain nonionic surfactant, also present in a cleaning-effective amount;
c. alkanolamine as an alkalinity source present in an amount effective to enhance soil removal in said cleaner;
d. a quaternary ammonium compound in an amount present for antimicrobial efficacy;
e. at least one water-soluble or dispersible organic solvent having a vapor pressure of at least 0.001 mm Hg at 25xc2x0 C., said at least one organic solvent present in a solubilizingxe2x80x94or dispersionxe2x80x94effective amount; and
f. the remainder, water.
The invention further comprises a method of cleaning soils from hard surfaces by applying said inventive cleaner to a soiled hard surface, and removing both soil and cleaner from said surface.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an antimicrobial hard surface cleaner.
It is another object of this invention to provide a rinse-free, all purpose hard surface cleaner.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a hard surface cleaner which, despite having antimicrobial efficacy, has improved greasy soil removal with no adverse effects on filming/streaking performance, surprisingly despite having a hydrophilic cationic surfactant.